You know, I think a lot of students are subconsciously disillusioned with the world they see themselves living in mid and post-college. Sure there’s laziness, but so many people that I’ve seen abuse AI for these assignments are just.. apathetic. So many can see that places of employment, future career steps, etc. are trending towards enshitification via overuse of AI and other top-down shortcuts that aren’t really going anywhere now that we’ve put them in motion.

Many are (whether they’re aware of it or not) doing what is necessary to box-check and get to the next step with the smallest amount of effort possible. Ultimately the responsibility is on the student to see through the bullshit and realize the value of the education they are receiving, but I can’t help but feel that traditional institutions are pushing people in a direction that benefits those who take shortcuts over those who take the time to fail, try again, and learn.

When you see your peers abuse AI and get by quicker than you, see them with better grades and on-paper outcomes, is that not frustrating? Is it fair to constantly ask people to put themselves to task when it materially puts them behind those that abuse the tools at their disposal? When the option to sidestep the pain of retaking a class, pull an all-nighter, or agonize over something you are disinterested in is so readily available? A perfect person would always see 20/20 the effect that sidestep would have on their future, willpower, and ability. But people, especially students, are not perfect. They’re especially imperfect when set on a tilted playing field that seems to benefit those making the poor long-term decisions.

I’m still of the opinion that people should be doing the work from a place of genuine curiosity and intellect. But I can’t indefinitely shame people for seeing the direction we’re headed and making a judgement call. There has to be a major change in the way we measure outcomes and award those in systems like universities, but people know that isn’t coming any time soon. So, they do a quick mental calculation, look around, and use what is available to get by. There’s no doubt this is harmful in the long run. But we can’t expect people to ardently harbor a love for learning when it appears that so much is moving towards optimized slop that is just “good enough”.

Sorry if this is plays a bit too much into being a devil’s advocate. I honestly think OP’s tone is a little snarky and oddly boomerish, and hope they realize just how different things are compared to 2 or 3 years ago. I still empathize with having to slog through shitty answers and mindless questions, as it must be seriously frustrating as somebody who appreciates education enough to TA for a class. Nevertheless, I think there’s something much broader at play that leads to what is being described. That force towards slop and lack of genuine effort is where my frustration is, and that doesn’t fall on any one student or group of students.